BBC Faces Backlash Over Gaza Documentary Featuring Child Narrator Linked to Hamas

The BBC is facing significant criticism following the release of a documentary about children living in Gaza, which featured a 13-year-old narrator, Abdullah. It was later discovered that Abdullah is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, a deputy agriculture minister in the Hamas-led government in Gaza—a detail which was not initially disclosed to viewers.

This revelation came to light after the film was broadcast on BBC Two and was further publicized following a blog post by an antisemitism researcher and subsequent reporting by the Jewish Chronicle. A statement appended to the documentary specifically noted Abdullah’s familial connection, clarifying that the production team had full editorial control during filming.

The information sparked a response from a group of 45 notable Jewish journalists and media professionals, including several former and current BBC staff. They signed a letter addressed to the BBC’s top executives, demanding the documentary be removed from iPlayer and that its broadcast be halted pending an independent review to assess compliance with regulatory guidelines.

The letter raised concerns over several issues, including the lack of audience disclosure that Abdullah was the son of a senior Hamas official, the due diligence process behind the documentary’s production, and whether proper permissions and releases had been secured from his parents. It also questioned if any financial arrangements with Hamas members were involved and if the necessary authorizations were in place for the production.

In response, the BBC issued a statement acknowledging the omission and confirming that, in light of the new information, additional details would be included in future broadcasts. The BBC emphasized that all standard compliance procedures had been followed during production, noting that the independent producers had not informed them about Abdullah’s family connections prior to airing the finished film.